Tennis-shoe.



N. E. TOUSLBYz C. H. ROPER.

TENNIS SHOE.A

rAPPLIGTION FILED JUNE 17, 19.13.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2,5 called cushion rubber heels, but prior to the IDFEI)SESIUENOFTUCEL NELSON E. TOUSLEY, OF WATERTOWN, AND CHARLES H. ROPER, F BELMONT, MASSA-I CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO HOOD RUBBER CO., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ri? n l ltti-matti 11ml 1,115,875. Specification 0f Letters Patent Patented Nov. 3, 1914. Application lediune 17, 1913. Serial No. 774,219.

To all whom 1: may Game7-7),; thereof; and Fig. 3 is a view of a detached Be it known that we, NELsoN E. TOUSLEY heel in perspective. 55

and CHARLEsf H. ROPER, citizens of the In t e drawings embodying our invention,

United States, residing at Watertown, l illustrates the usual canvas or fabric up- Massachusetts, and Belmont, Massachusetts, per, and 2 the usual rubber sole comprising respectively, have invented certain new and a sole portion proper, an instep portion, and useful Improvements in Tennis-Shoes, of a heel portion. An offset heel formed of 60 which the following is a specification. rubber, or rubber composition, is designated Our invention relates to canvas, or the like at 3, and comprises comparatively thin botfabric, rubber soled shoes, of the type comtom and vertical, or side, walls, forming. monly known as tennis shoes, or sneaks, and what might Ybe termed a' shell confining a itsv object is to provide-a shoe of this charlarge central space, or chamber, across which 65 acter equipped with'an oii'set heel, approxia suitable vertically disposed partition eX- mating in appearance the heel of an orditends. In the illustrated embodiment of our nary shoe, so constructed as not to add mainvention, two partitions designated 4, 4, are terially tothe weightof the shoe, and posemployed, said partitions being comparasessing a large measure of resilienc tively thin, .being spaced apart, and eXtend- 70 or a great number of years heelless soing from the inner face of the front verticalled tennis shoes, or sneaks, characterized cal wall tothe opposing face of the rear bya fabric upper and rubber sole have been wall. The upper edge of the front wall is lextensively on the market, and for a large shown as provided with a passageway 5 for number of years it has also been common to placing the space between the partitions 4, 75 equip rubber boots with solid rubber heels l I' and to apply to leather boots and shoes soshce when the heel is attached, and similar passageways are shown as provided in the upper edges of the partitions for placing the central chamber of the heel in communica- 80 tion with the side chambers thereof. The offset rubber heel. This was probably due to I heel is attached to the heel portion of the the fact that a tennis shoe, or sneak, sole by securing thereto, preferably by vulequipped with an ordinary rubber theel, canization, the upper edges of the partitions would not be a practical, or commercially and vertical wall aforesaid. 85 marketable, article, because, among other For strengthening the arch of the shoe a y reasons, such heel -would not ossess the metal shank 6 is preferably interposed berequisite resiliency, and wouldadldtoo great tween the layers of material of which the a weight to the shoe. As is well known, rub- Vsole is formed. This shank may be formed ber compounds areY necessarily heavy, and with openings 6a at suitable intervals 90 this is particularly true ofA colored rubber through whichV the layers of material procompounds such as white and red, so that, ject,'and are jo'ned together in the Vulcani- 40 as is well known, the heelless tennis shoes zationofthe sole for aiding in securing the now placed upon the market appear to be strip firmly in place.

advent ofthe shoe embodying our invention noone'had ever marketed, to our lmowledge, a tennis shoe, or sneak, equipped with an unduly heavy, and it is commerciali imkWe claim 95 practicable to add to this weight that of the 1. A tennis shoe, vor shce havin a fabric usual rubber or cushion heel. upper and a composition vrubber so e, includ- Our invention involves the provision ofa lng sole, instep and heel,portions, and a heel which is particularly light and resilient, composition rubber heel attached to the heel so that the .shoe equippedtherewith is not portion and comprising comparatively thin open to any' of the objections stated. vertical and bottom walls defining a large he invention is illustrated in the accomchamber, andan linteggjral partition extendl 50 panyingdrawingS, rrwhichingacross the chamber, the upper edges of Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in secthe vertical wall and partition being attion, of a tennis shoe embodying our inventached to the heel portion of the sole.

tion; Fig. 2 is alongitdnal sectional View 2. A tennis' shoe, or shoe having a fabric upper and arubber sole comprising sole, ini In testimony whereof, We aix our signastep and heel portions, and a heel attached tures 1n presence of two witnesses. to the heel portion'and comprising a 'rubber NELSON E. TOUSL IY. compositlon shell forming a large chamber CHARLESH ROPER 5 and spaced apart partitions integral with the shell extending across the chamber, the Witnesses: u per edges of the partitions and front wall A. F. IQANALY, ci) the shell being provided with passages. R. Mum.

Copies of thil patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patente,

Walnington, D. G. 

